Who in the world is trying to change their personality traits? Volitional personality change among college students in six continents

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6206635
AutoresErica Baranski (0000-0002-0577-3905, Bielefeld University, autor de correspondencia), Members Of The International Situations Project (University of California, Riverside), Gwendolyn Gardiner (0000-0001-8118-9164), Daniel Lee (0000-0003-0789-058X), David C Funder (0000-0002-7609-706X)
Año2021
Volumen121
Número5
Páginas1140-1156
Fecha de publicación2021-11-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
EditorialAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/pspp0000389
PMID34881959
OpenAlexW4200458902
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas15
Referencias citadas31

Recent research conducted largely in the United States suggests that most people would like to change one or more of their personality traits. Yet almost no research has investigated the degree to which and in what ways volitional personality change (VPC), or individuals' active efforts toward personality change, might be common around the world. Through a custom-built website, 13,278 college student participants from 55 countries and one of a larger country (Hong Kong, S.A.R.) using 42 different languages reported whether they were currently trying to change their personality and, if so, what they were trying to change. Around the world, 60.40% of participants reported that they are currently trying to change their personalities, with the highest percentage in Thailand (81.91%) and the lowest in Kenya (21.41%). Among those who provide open-ended responses to the aspect of personality they are trying to change, the most common goals were to increase emotional stability (29.73%), conscientiousness (19.71%), extraversion (15.94%), and agreeableness (13.53%). In line with previous research, students who are trying to change any personality trait tend to have relatively low levels of emotional stability and happiness. Moreover, those with relatively low levels of socially desirable traits reported attempting to increase what they lacked. These principal findings were generalizable around the world. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Agreeableness · Big Five personality traits · Big Five personality traits and culture · Conscientiousness · Developmental psychology · Extraversion and introversion · Facet (psychology) · MEDLINE · Personality · Personality psychology · Political science · PsycINFO · Trait · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Personality Traits and Psychology · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social Psychology